Pinch homer sinks Cincy

Atlanta Braves' Brian McCann hit a home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning of a game in Atlanta on July 21.
AP

MILWAUKEE — Pinch hitter Jim Edmonds homered with two outs in the eighth after just missing a go-ahead shot on the previous pitch, and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 Monday night.

Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the third inning as Milwaukee won its fifth straight to match a season-best streak after trailing 2-0 early.

Edmonds has been unable to play the field since his right Achilles' tendon tightened Saturday night.

He hit a big blast off a fastball from Bronson Arroyo (10-6), dropping the bat only to watch his shot sail foul. He sent the next pitch over the Reds' bullpen in right-center field.

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Reliever Carlos Villanueva (1-0) pitched the eighth, and rookie closer John Axford rebounded from his first blown save of the season Friday night to notch his 15th save in 16 attempts after allowing a one-out double to pinch hitter Laynce Nix.

Milwaukee snapped a six-game losing streak to the Reds and kept Cincinnati from moving into a virtual tie in the NL Central with St. Louis.

Cincinnati has been in first or second place in the division since early May, and Milwaukee has remained a distant third. The Brewers are closing fast, but they need to sweep the Reds to pressure the leaders.

With two outs in the third, Brewers starter Randy Wolf singled and Weeks followed with a 447-foot shot to straightaway center field to tie it at 2. Weeks has six homers in his last nine games, and the Brewers have hit at least one in 15 straight.

Arroyo had allowed just one run in his previous 16 innings against Milwaukee until Weeks' at-bat, and he retired 13 straight before Edmonds' hit.

The bullpen also picked up Wolf, who had given up 12 runs and volunteered to stay in the game to save Milwaukee's tired relievers in a 15-3 loss to the Pirates on Wednesday. The move has paid off; Milwaukee hasn't lost since.

Wolf scattered five singles over seven innings, running into trouble only in the second when he hit Scott Rolen with a pitch and allowed singles to Jonny Gomes and Jay Bruce.

Ryan Hanigan followed with a bases-loaded single that gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.